Direct-current apparatus.



' C. W. GIRVIN.

DIRECT CURRENT APPARATUS.

APPLICATIOH FILED AUG-26,1915.

1,286,587. Paflmted Dec. 3, 1918.

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c. w. 6mm. 0mm CURRENT APPARATUS. APPUCATLON FILED AUG .26. H115.

1,286,587. Patented Dec. 3, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4- wniucsszs INVENTOH rrnn CHARLES W. GIRVIN, 01*PEILELDELPEIA,

PENNSYILVANIA, ASSIGNOR 'IO GIRVIN ELEC- TRICAL DEVELOPEENT OGMPANY,LTD, 03 HGNOLULU, TERRITORY 01* HA'WAII, A CORPORATION QF THE TERRITORY0F HAWAII.

DIRECT-CURRENT srra'neres.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 3, F318.

Application filed August 26, 1915. Serial No. 47,459.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES W. rawn, a citizen of the United citates,residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inLirect-Current Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to improvements in direct currentapparatus, and more particularly to apparatus of this type adapted tooperate in connection. with currents of high potential.

The present invention is an adaptation of the general principlesrelating to this type of apparatus set forth in the patent granted tomeSeptember 5, 1916, No. 1,196,773, in which I employ a predeterminednumber of open-circuit armature coil-units, and a commutator soarrz'lnged as to maintain the units constantly in series relationshipthrough the commutator acting individually on each unit, the commutatormaintaining all the units in a constantly closed circuit, the commutatorin the form of apparatus shown in said companion application embodying aplurality of segments extending in peripheral and longitudinal rows, thesegments having a prearranged system of connections with each other anda prearranged system of contact connection with the coil-units. 4

In the present invention the relative ar rangement of segments ischanged in a manner to more closely. approach in form the general typeof rectifying apparatus, without, however. affecting the generalprinciple referred to in sa1d companion application,

thereby siniplifying to some extent certain structural features, therebyreducing the cost of manufacture of certain types of apparatus of thisgeneral type.

Another t'eature is the ability to readily provide the necessaryinsulation between segments of the rectifying apparatus to meet theconditions of high voltage working.

Another feature is the ability to provide groups of coil-units, eachgroup having the characteristics referred to and capable of being put inseries or parallel relationship, or ina combination of theseconnections; similarly, taps may be employed and thus enable variousvoltages to be obtained independent or" field excitation or variations.

To these and other ends, the nature of which will be readily understoodthe ined to carry out my invention.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the parts as angularly moved.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view showing a paiit of the structure of Fig. 1on an enlarged sca c.

Fig. & is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the parts more particularlyadapted for high voltage conditions, the segments being in th positioncoincident with maximum voltage in the coil-unit.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. i, but showing the position of thesegments during commutation or" the current in the coil-unit.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Figs. and with the segments at anintermediate position.

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view showing a modified arrangement of thesegments.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 with the segments angularly moved.

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic view showing the application of the inventionadapted for use with a four pole machine.

Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic perspective view showing the generalapplication of the invention.

Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic view showing an arrangement in which atransformer forms part of a coil-unit circuit.

Fig. 12 is a diagrannnat-ic view showing an arrangement in which a tapis inserted within the circuit.

Fig. 13 is a detailed sectional view show ing one way in which thesegments may be mounted and connected.

. Figs. 14 and 14* are detailsectional and side elevational viewsrespectively of a moditied Way of'mounting and connectingthe segmeetswith continuous currents of high potential wherein the amperage iscomparatively small. Examples of such uses are to be found in connectionwith electrical precipi-- tation, X-ray work,- etc., although theinvention is not limited to such fields, being capable of use wherelarger currents are desired. Where the current. is'small and the voltageis high, as for instance, in machines haying voltages of from 10,000 to100,000,

g asrequired for the above mentioned uses, the

necessity for a large number of individual gments and the smallcrosssection of conucto g connecting the segments, render the genei' larrangement of the companion applicationsomewhat expensive tomanufacture, since the segments are small and require considerable carein assembling.

In the present form I employ a structure more closelyapproaching thegeneral type of rectifier segments, an example of which is shown in Fig.3, in the form of the seg ments, these segments being spaced apart. Forthe purposeof explanation, I will re- .fer to these pairs ofg segmentsas segment rings, in contra-distinction to the collector ringshereinafter referred to. tions of this segment ring within theapparatus, however, differ from the usual form of such apparatus aswill-be more clearly understood from the showing of Fig. 1.

In Fig. 1, C C'-, C, (1* and C represent independent sources ofalternating E. M.

F .s, such, for instance, as may be provided by the use of open-circuitarmature coilunits; being similar in this respect to the coil-units ofthe companion application. Each coil-unit has its terminals in the formof brushes 15, preferably arranged in the form shown in this figure,diametrically opposite each other, the brushes of a coilunit operatingin connection with the pair of segments forming a segment ring, eachcoil-unit thus having its individual segment ring, the segment rings ofthe several coilunits being preferably arranged on a comnionaxis andhaving angular positions relative to each other in correspondence withthe similar relative positions of the. armature coil-units, thusbringing the commutation positions of the segment rings in properrelation with the brushes 15 at the instant-s of reversal of, E. M. F.sin the coil-units. A co'n'nnutating position is shown M20 in Fig; 1,coil-unit C beingzshown as in shortcircuit. The succeeding coil-unitsare shown as different phases, the several phases havin a definite )haserelationshi the ana I I I n 7 gular posit ons of the segment rings bemgarranged accordingly. 7 g

One terminal of the circuit is indicated at T being in the form oflector ring, the

The connecopposite terminal being also a collector ing connected tocollector ring T By this general arrangement a closed series circuitextends from terminal T to terminal T coilunit 0 being indicated as inthe short-circuit position with its current undergoing commutation, theremaining coil-units being connected in series through the severalconnections between the segment rings, with the F. of each coilunit inagreement with thedirection of current flow in it. A I

As shown, the segments bof the several rings are permanently connectedwith the segmentsa of the succeeding rings, thus placing thesesegmentsaspairs of segments, these pairs in turn being connected by thecoil-units, the latter each-connecting segments a and Z) of itsrespective segment ring;

Fig. 2 illustrates the changes due to the angular movement of the groupof segment rings. In this view the E. M. F .s of the coil units' C and Care shown as having been reversed, coil-units C being in itsshort-circuit position, coil-unit C having passed from the short-circuitposition of Fig. 1. As will be seen, the series relation ship of thecoil-units has been maintained, while at no time has the circuit beenopened.

As shown in Fig. 10 the armature is sta tionary, the field magnet systemrotating, the segment rings being mounted on the shaft 30 of the fieldmagnet system, the.latter being indicated at 31 and. the armature at 32.As shown, the magnet system may include commutating poles as in theordinary type direct current machine. \Vhile I have referred to thecoil-unit's as be-' ing armature coiLunits, the arrangement is capableof use. in connection with. other sources of alternating E. M. F.s. Forinstance, as in Fig. 11,1 may interpose a ios is appli able for use witha multiplicity of coil-units, the E. M. F. of each coil-unitbeportionate in each case to by the bridging of the space betweensegasset-a7 different phase from all the other units, or the E. M. F.Sot

ha e the same phase.

five coil-units, in li four coil-units, and in Fig. 9 coil-nnits.

may be increased or decreased as deired to meet different workingcomlitions, o-me uses permitting and possibl requiring ins ance, in llave shown the T the use of the use of three Obviously the number ofcoila more or less pulsating direct current, while other uses requirespractically continuous irect current. i

A" the usua rectifying structures, the comparativelyclose arrangen'ientof the segments a and Z) limits the maximum voltage which may be usedper coil-unit, the adjacent ends of these segments having a differencein voltage equal to the voltage of the coil-unit. F or this reason Iprefer, in the case of high voltages. to arrange the spacot' thesegments of a ring as shown more particularly in Figs. l, 5 and 6, thusplacing an extended space between the adjacent ends oi segments, thisspace being sutficient to prevent arcing over from one segment to theother, the length of the space being prothe maximum voltage of thecoil-unit. To maintain the circuit closed during the commutation of thecurrent in a. coil-unit, the action provided nients in Fig. 3 by brushes1 5, I prefer to employ a pair of brushes connected, in place of eachbrush 15. As

shown in Fig. l, corresponding brushes of the pairs should be spacedapart a distance equal to or greater than the distance be ween theadjacent segments, while the two brushes of a pair should be spacedapart a distance equal to or less than the arc length of a ment, theminimum segment arc length being substantially equal to one fourth thecir cumt'erence of the ring, the distances between brushes beingconsidered as the distances from center to center of the arc of contactotthe brushes. 1 v

As shown in Figs. 1-, Sand (3, this arrangement pnevents opening of thecircuit, one of a pair of brushes at. least being in contact with theproper segment at all tiines, as in Fig. 6, both brushes of a pair beingin contact with the same segment when the coilunit is at its maximumvoltage, as in Fig. 4- the brushes joining opposite segments in theshort-circuit position shown in Fig. 5, it being understood that theconnections with adjacent rings are as in Figs. 1 and 2.

Figs. 7 and 8, a slightly different a1- rangement is employed, thesegment ring of a coil unit being replaced by two segment rings, eachconsisting of a pair of segments, 45, (Z, Figs. 7 and 8. these segmentsbeing mounted diametrically opposite and concentricaliy, andbeingelectrically .connectelectrically ed, at a but so mounted that abrush or contactor placed to contact one segn'icnt would at no timeContact the other segment. This is accomplished by mounting the segmentsin diti'crent planes when they are of same diameter, and in the sameplane, as shown in these tigures only when they are of diii'erentdiameters. In this arrangement, each coil-unit terminal is composed oftwo brushes or contactorsthc two operating with adjacent segment ringsas shown, and the two brushes of the other terminal operating with thesame two segment rings. As will be seen, with the exeption of theinstants of zero E. M. I in the respective coilunit, when all fourterminal brushes of the. c0ilunit are in contact with segments and henceshort-circuited, only one brush of each terminal pair is in contact witha segment, but at no time are both brushes of a terminal pair out ofcontact. Thus every coilunit is always in the circuit and in with allthe other units and whole is constantly .'losed.

The circuit terminals, T and T Figs. 7 and 8, are each formed of a pairof brushes in order to be in continuous contact with the pairot segmentsthe terminal operates with. The segment ring 'arc prct'eably mounted ona common axis, and angula'rly positioned relative to each other incorrespondence with the ditl'erence in phases of the coil-unit E. M. lfs. ln Fig. 7 coil-unit is shown as in theshort-circuit position,coil-units and being out of such position, the coil units all beingconnected in series with the circuit constantly closed. In Fig. 8 thesegment rings are shown as having been moved angular-1y, coil-unit C nowout. of shortcircuit, the oil-unit (i being in short-circuit, and theangular morement not ati'ecting the series connection of the coil-units.

In Fig. 9 I have shown an amplified urrangement of the structure of Fig.l, the segment rings in this arrangen'lent each being formed of foursegments, opposite segments of the ring being permanently connected together electrically, the spacing of the seg ments in this instance beingof the type shown in Fig. 4-. The aition ot the apparatus in fulfillingthe conditions is substantially similar to the arrangement of Figsf4, 5and (5, the coil-units being short-circuitcd at. proper times and beingmaintained in series relationship without opening the circuit. Thisarrangement is adapted for use in connection with four pole apparatusopcrating at. equal speed with the rectifying structure. Obviously. thearrangement may be. employed with a two pole or an eight pole apparatus,the rectifying structure operating at half or double the speed of theapparatus respectively; in this espect, the "110- ture of Figs. 1 to 6may operate in series the circuit as a tion with four pole apparatus ifthe rectify-- ing structure is driven at double the apparatus speed. Itwill be readily understood that the rectifying structure may be used inconnection with six pole or other multipolar apparatus by arranging thesegments to correspond.

As Will be readily understood, the rectifying structure may beduplicated, thus forming similar groups of coil-units, the groups beingavailable for independent, or series, orparallel, or series-parallel,operation, as desired. Or, ifdesired, taps may be inserted Within thegroup circuit by connecting a collector or slip-ring to the properpermanent connection of the segments, this being illustrated in Fig. 12at R.

It Will be understood, of course, that the voltage at slip ring R issubstantially the voltage of the series-connected coil units whosesegment rings are located in advance of the slip ring and necessarilyless than the total voltage of the entire circuit at the outgoingterminal.

The rectifying structure may be formed in any suitable manner, one formof which is indicated in Fig. 13, which shows a portion of a structurein which the segments are peripherally mounted. In Figs. 14: and 14: Ihave shown the segments as mounted on the opposite sides of a disk.

The brushes may be of any suitable contact type, or may be in the formof bridge pieces arranged as close as possible to the segments so thatspark-gaps are formed across which the current may pass. both formsfalling Within the term contactors.

While I have herein shown and'described various ways in which theprinciples of my invention may be carried out, it will be readilyunderstood that changes and modifications therein may be required ordesired to meet the exigencies of use, and I desire to be understood asclaiming the right to make any and all of such changes and modificationsfor such purposes as the same-may fall Within the spirit and scopeof'the inven' tion as expressed in the accompanying claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is,-

1. In direct current apparatus, a plurality of so ces of alternating E.M. F.s having definite phase relationship, contactors forming terminalsfor ,said sources with each terminal embodying a pair of contactors, anda rotating rectifying device having con nected segments adapted tocooperate with said contactors to place said sources constantly in aclosed series circuit, said segments being maintained constantly incircuit.

2. In directcurrent apparatus, a plurality of sources of alternating E.M. F.s having definite phase relationship,- contactors forming terminalsfor said sources with each terminal embodying a pair of contactors, anda rotating rectifying device having connected segments adapted tocooperate with said contactors to place said sources constantly in aclosed series circuit said segments being maintained constantly incircuit, said device acting individually on each source.

3. In direct current mechanism, a plurality of sources of alternating E.M. F.s hav-.

ing definite phase relationship, contactors formlng terminals for sa1dsources with each terminal embodying a pair of contactors, a

rotatable rectifying device adapted to cooperate with said contactors toplace said sources constantly in a closed series circuit,

said devicehaving individual segments constantly in circuit andconnected in pairs, each source being adapted to connect pairs throughthe operation of its contactors With the segments.

4. In direct current mechanism, a plurality of sources of alternating E.M. F.s having definite phase relationship, contactors.

the segments, said device having its seg- -ments relatively arranged tocause the ter minal contactors of a source to operate normally Withsegments of difi'erent'pairs and to cooperate combinedly with thesegments of both pairs during the periodjof commutation of the currentin the source.

5. In direct current-mechanism, a plurality of sources of alternating E.M. F.s having definite phase relationship, cont-actors forming terminalsfor sa1d sources with each terminal embodying a pair of contactors, arotatable rectifying device adapted to cooperate with said contactors toplace said sources constantly in a closed series circuit, said devicehaving individual segments connected in pairs, each source being adaptedto connect pairsthroughthe operation of its contactors with thesegments, said device having segments of adjacent pairs angularly spaceda distance sufficient to give a factor of safety against arcing overbetween segments from high potential in the source connecting thesegments, while maintaining the circuit closed.

6. In direct current mechanism, a plurality of sources of alternating E.M. F.s having definite phase relationship, contactors forming terminalsfor said sources. a rotatable rectifying device adapted to cooperatewith said contactors to place said sources constantly in a closed seriesci'rcuit, said device having individual segments connected in pairs,each source being adapted to connectpairs through the operation of itscontactors with the segments, each terminal of a source having a pair ofcontactors angularly spaced apart the segments cooperating with saidcontactors having lengths and being relatively positioned to permitvbothcontactors of a terminal to cooperate with a single segment at maximumvoltage and with both segments at minimum voltage of the source.

7. In direct current mechanism, a plural? ity of sources of alternatingE. M. F.s having definite phase relationship, contactors formingterminals for said sources, a rotatahle rectifying device adapted tocooperate with said contactors to place said sources constantly in aclosed series circuit, said device having individual segments connectedin pairs, each source being adapted to connect pairs through theoperation of its contactors with the segments, said device in CHARLES W.GIRVIN.

Witnesses FRANCIS D. MAHONE,

7M. P. THOMPSON, SYDNEY YOUNG.

